/  \ 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


D    000  880  699    4 
Geol     DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE. 

L  i  t>  BUREAU  OF  SOILS— MILTON  WHITNET,  Chief. 


S 

GA3 
1Q18 


N   WITH  THE  WISCONSIN  GEOLOGICAL  AND  NATURAL  HISTORY 
,   *A    BIRGE,   DIRECTOR;  COLLEGE   OF   AGRICULTURE,   UNI- 
Y  OF  WISCONSIN,  H.  L.  RUSSELL,  DEAN;  A.  R.  WHITSON, 
IN  CHARGE  SOIL  SURVEY. 


SOIL  PURVEY  OF  MILWAUKEE  COUNTY, 


BY 


W.  J.  GEIB,  OF  THE  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  In 

Charge,  and  T.  J.  DUNNEWALD,  of  the  Wisconsin 

Geological  and  Natural  History  Survey. 


THOMAS  D.  RICE,  Inspector,  Northern  Division. 


[Advance  Sheets— Field  Operations  of  the  Bureau  of  Soils,  1916.] 


WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE. 

1018. 


BUREAU  OF  SOILS. 


Milton  Whitkky,  Chief  of  Bureau. 
Alueut  G.  IlicE,  Chief  Clerk. 

SOIL    SUB^^EY. 

Crr.TTS  F.  IVIakbut,  In  Charge. 
G.  W.  Baumann,  Executive  Assistant. 

COMMITTEE  ON   THE  CORKELATION   AND  CLASSIFICATION   OF   SOTT-S. 

Curtis    F.   Marbut,    Chairman. 
Hugh  H.  Bennett,  Inspector,  Southern  Division. 
W.  Ed\vai:i)  Hearn.  Inspector,  Soutliern  Division. 
Thoscas  D.  KrcE,  Inspector,  Northern  Division. 
W.  E.  McLendon,  Inspector,  Northern  Division. 
Macy  H.  LAriiAM.  Inspector,  Western  Division. 

J.  W.  McKekichek,  Secretary. 


U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE. 

BUREAU  OF  SOILS— MILTON  WHITNEY,  Chief. 

IN  COOPERATION   WITH  THE  WISCONSIN  GEOLOGICAL  AND  NATURAL  HISTORY 
SURVEY,  E.   A.   BIUGE,   DIRECTOR;  COLLEGE   OF   AGRICULTURE,   UNI- 
VERSITY OF  WISCONSIN,  H.  L.  RUSSELL,  DEAN;  A.  R.  WHITSON, 
IN  CHARGE  SOIL  SURVEY. 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  MILWAUKEE  COUNTY, 

WISCONSIN. 


BY 


W.  J.  GEIB,  OF  THE  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  In 

Charge,  and  T.  J.  DUNNEWALD,  of  the  Wisconsin 

Geological  and  Natural  History  Survey. 


THOAL\S  D,  RICE,  Inspector,  Northern  Division. 


[Advance  Sheets— Field  Operations  of  the  Bureau  of  Soils,  1916.] 


WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE. 

1818. 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL. 


U.  S.  Department  or  Agrictjltuee, 

Bureau  of  Soils, 
Washington^  D.  C.^  December  5,  1917. 
Sir:  Field  operations  of  the  Bureau  of  Soils  for  1916  included  a 
soil  survey  of  Milwaukee  County,  Wisconsin,  undertaken  in  coopera- 
tion with  the  Wisconsin  Geological  and  Natural  History  Survey. 

I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  herewith  the  manuscript  and  map 
covering  this  work  and  to  recommend  their  publication  as  advance 
sheets  of  Field  Operations  of  the  Bureau  of  Soils  for  1916,  as  author- 
ized by  law. 

Respectfully, 

Milton  Whitney, 

Chief  of  Bureau, 
Hon.  D.  F.  Houston, 

Secretary  of  Agriculture* 
2 


CONTENTS. 


Page. 
Son.  Survey  or  Milwaukee  County,  Wisconsin.     By  W.  J.  Geib,  of  the 
U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  In  Charc.e,  and  T.  J.  Dunnewald, 

of  THE  Wisconsin  Geological  and  Natural  History  Survey 5 

Description  of  the  area 5 

Climate 8 

Agriculture 9 

Soils 13 

Miami  fine  sandy  loam 16 

Miami  loam 17 

Miami  silty  clay  loam 17 

Miami  gravelly  clay  loam 19 

^Jiami  clay  loam 19 

Clyde  loam 21 

Clyde  clay  loam 21 

Carrington  silt  loam 22 

Kewaunee  clay  loam 23 

Superior  fine  sandy  loam 25 

Poygan  clay  loam 26 

Fox  fine  sandy  loam 26 

Fox  silt  loam 27 

Waukesha  sandy  loam 28 

Waukesha  loam 28 

Plainfield  fine  sand 29 

Peat 30 

Summaxy 31 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


figure. 
Fig.  1.  Sketch  map  showing  location  of  the  Milwaukee  County  area,  Wisconflin . 

MAP. 

Soil  map,  Milwaukee  County  sheet,  Wisconsin. 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  MILWAUKEE  COUNTY, 

WISCONSIN. 

By  W.  J.  GEIB.  of  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture.  In  Charge,  and  T.  J. 
DUNNEWALD,  of  the  Wisconsin  Geological  and  Natural  History  Survey.— 
Area  Inspected  by  THOMAS  D.  RICE. 

DESCRIPTIOX    OF    THE    AREA. 

Milwaukee  County  is  located  in  the  southeastern  part  of  Wiscon- 
sin. It  is  bounded  on  the  north  bj^  Ozaukee  County,  on  the  east 
by  Lake  Michigan,  on  the  south  by  Racine  County,  and  on  the  west 
by  Wauke.sha  County.  The  city  of  ^Milwaukee  is  in  the  east-central 
part.  The  county  varies  from  8  to  12  miles  in  width  east  and  west 
and  is  24  miles  long.  It  has  a  total  area 
of  241  square  miles,  or  154,240  acres. 

The  topograi)h)'  of  Milwaukee  County, 
which  is  constructional,  consists  of  three 
low,  broad,  flat-topped,  but  rather  distinct 
ridges  running  north  and  south  parallel  to 
the  lake  shore  and  separated  by  two  shal- 
low, narrow,  lowland  belts.  All  the  ridges 
curve  with  the  indentation  of  the  coast 
line  at  Milwaukee,  but  elsewhere  do  not 
trend  with  the  details  of  the  coast  line. 
Half  of  the  first  ridge  has  been  removed 
between  Milwaukee  and  the  southern  line 
of  the  county  by  the  landward  sapping  of 
the  lake,  so  that  the  lake  shore  lies  ap- 
proximately along  the  crest  of  the  ridge, 
the  height  of  the  lake  cliff,  therefore,  varying  with  the  height  of  the 
ridge.  North  of  Milwaukee  the  lake  seems  to  have  cut  away  about 
half  of  the  ridge  also.  The  remaining  part  of  this  ridge  has  a  maxi- 
mum width  of  about  3  miles  in  the  northern  part  of  the  city  of  ^lil- 
waukee  and  at  the  northern  boundary  of  the  county.  Elsewhere  the 
width  is  half  that  or  less. 

The  width  of  the  fir.st  lowland  ranges  from  a  quarter  mile  locally 
at  several  places  to  expansions  of  more  than  a  mile,  as  in  the  area 
of  Peat  west  of  Ryan,  another  southwest  of  Cudahy,  and  one  near 

5 


/\ 

R 

rt 

i 

^V^ 

Vl; 

t-j^mJ 

Vf^ 

V 

^1 

n  1    1   M      1 

Fig.  1. — Sketch  map  showing 
location  of  the  Milwaukee 
County  area,  Wisconsin. 


6  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF    THE   BUREAU   OF    SOILS,   1916. 

North  Milwaukee.  It  lies  about  40  feet  lower  than  the  top  of  the 
first  ridge. 

The  second  ridge  has  a  width  of  about  5  miles  throughout  its 
course  in  the  county.  Its  maximum  elevation  is  about  140  feet  and 
its  general  elevation  about  80  feet  above  the  lowland  east  of  it.  Its 
surface  is  undulating  to  rolling,  owing  to  the  existence  of  a  number 
of  subordinate  ridges  with  the  same  trend  as  that  of  the  main  ridge. 

The  second  lowland  belt  has  a  width  about  the  same  as  that  of  the 
first  belt.  It  lies  about  100  feet  below  the  general  level  of  the  top 
of  the  second  ridge. 

The  third  ridge,  only  the  eastern  part  of  which  lies  within  the 
county,  is  essentially  like  the  second. 

The  drainage  of  the  county  consists  of  a  number  of  small  streams 
following  the  lowland  belts  and  a  few  larger  streams  following  the 
lowland  belts  in  part  and  in  part  cutting  their  way  across  the  ridges. 
In  a  few  instances  the  small  streams  have  cut  valleys  across  low 
parts  of  the  ridges.  The  Milwaukee  River  has  cut  a  narrow  valley 
across  the  western  part  of  the  first  ridge  west  of  Fox  Point  and 
across  the  eastern  part  in  the  northern  part  of  the  city  of  Mil- 
waukee. The  Menominee  River  has  cut  a  narrow^  valley  across  the 
second  ridge  between  Wauwatosa  and  the  western  part  of  the  city  of 
Milwaukee  and  a  broader  one  across  the  eastern  ridge  within  the 
city.  The  Root  River  has  cut  a  narrow  valley  across  the  second 
ridge  where  it  runs  in  an  eastward  course  along  the  southern 
boundary  of  the  county,  and  Oak  Creek  crosses  the  first  ridge  in 
South  Milwaukee.  In  those  parts  of  their  courses  not  mentioned 
above  these  streams  occupy  the  lowland  belts  in  a  misfit  way  just 
like  the  small  streams.  The  lowland  belts  were  made  before  the 
existing  streams  were  formed  and  by  other  forces.  The  local  drain- 
age is  mainly  into  small  basins,  lakes,  and  ponds,  and  occasionally 
into  the  existing  streams  described  above.  The  natural  provision 
for  the  surface  drainage  of  the  county  is  very  incomplete. 

Milwaukee  County  was  created  in  1836.  It  then  included  a  large 
area  to  the  north,  west,  and  south  of  the  present  county,  and  was  not 
reduced  to  its  present  size  until  1846. 

The  first  settlers  in  the  county  were  mainly  English  and  French. 
Later  German  settlers  largely  occupied  the  northern  and  western 
sections.  Subsequently  German  settlement  spread  to  the  southern 
part  of  the  county,  which  had  been  occupied  mainly  by  Irish. 
While  the  present  population  is  largely  German  (about  60  per  cent), 
it  comprises  many  other  nationalities.  Many  of  the  gardeners,  espe- 
cially south  of  Milwaukee,  are  of  Polish  descent. 

The  total  population  of  Milwaukee  County  is  reported  in  the  1910 
census  as  433,187.    The  rural  population  is  given  as  39,556,  or  about 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   MILWAUKEE   COUNTY,   WISCONSIN.  7 

9  per  cent  of  the  total,  averaging  about  168  per  square  mile.  The 
density  of  the  rural  population  of  Milwaukee  County  is  greater  than 
that  of  any  other  county  in  the  State.  The  density  of  population  is 
greatest  along  the  lake. 

Milwaukee,  with  a  population  of  373,857,  according  to  the  1910 
census,  is  the  county  seat.  Whitefish  Bay,  Xorth  Milwaukee,  and 
Granville,  in  the  northwestern  corner  of  the  count}',  Wauwatosa  and 
West  AUis,  to  the  west  of  the  city,  and  Bayview,  St.  Francis,  Cudahy, 
South  IVIilwaukee,  and  Carrollville,  to  the  south  of  the  city,  are  im- 
portant towns.  Hales  Corners  and  St.  Martins  are  located  in  the 
southwestern  part  of  the  county. 

All  the  towns  are  connected  directly  by  steam  or  electric  railway 
with  Milwaukee.  The  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad  has 
a  double-track  line  from  the  city  southward,  and  the  Waukeslia, 
Watertown,  Fond  du  Lac,  and  Green  Bay  branches  running  west  and 
north.  The  Chicago  &  Xorth  Western  has  two  double-track  lines, 
one  freight  and  one  passenger,  running  south,  and  the  Madison,  La 
Crosse,  Fond  du  Lac.  and  Manitowoc  branches  extending  west  and 
north  from  the  city. 

Of  the  electric  interurban  lines  the  Racine  line  of  the  Mil- 
waukee Electric  Railroad  &  Light  Co.  and  the  Chicago,  Xorth- 
shore  &  Milwaukee  Electric  Railway  extend  southward  from  the 
city,  and  the  Troy  and  Muskego  Lake  lines  of  the  former  system 
westward  to  AYest  Allis  and  south  throng i  Hales  Corners  and  St. 
Martins.  The  Waukesha  &  AVatertown  line  of  the  same  system  runs 
west  and  the  Milwaukee  Xorthern  Electr'c  Railway  north  from  the 
city. 

Owing  to  the  heavy,  clayey  nature  of  the  soil  over  the  greater  part 
of  the  county,  the  roads  in  their  natural  condition  are  very  bad  in 
wet  weather,  and  with  the  rapid  increase  in  the  use  of  the  automobile 
it  became  necessary  to  build  roads  capable  of  withstanding  the  heavy 
traffic  in  the  vicinity  of  the  city.  In  the  last  few  years  nearly  all  the 
main  roads  and  many  of  the  crossroads  have  been  surfaced.  A 
report  of  the  Milwaukee  highway  department  published  in  January, 
1916.  indicates  that  nearly  100  miles  of  permanent  road  had  been 
completed  outside  the  city,  86  per  cent  being  concrete,  7  per  cent 
asphalt,  2  per  cent  brick  and  block,  and  >  y.er  cent  macadam.  The 
cost  is  met  by  direct  taxation,  about  one-third  being  borne  by  the 
State.  About  $2,000,000  has  been  expended  The  road  improve- 
ments have  had  a  marked  etfect  in  increasing  land  values. 

The  city  of  Milwaukee  is  the  chief  market  for  all  garden  crops  and 
many  other  products,  such  as  milk,  butter,  meat,  hay.  grain,  potatoes, 
etc.  Sugar  beets,  some  of  the  milk,  cabbage,  and  other  products  are 
shipped  to  outbide  markets. 


8  FIELD  OPERATIONS  OF   THE  BUREAU   OF   SOILS,  1916. 

CLIMATE. 

The  climatic  conditions  prevailing  in  Milwaukee  County  are  char- 
acteristic of  a  considerable  region  in  eastern  and  southeastern  Wiscon- 
sin immediately  bordering  Lake  Michigan.  The  mean  annual  pre- 
cipitation as  reported  by  the  Milwaukee  station  is  31.40  inches;  the 
total  rainfall  for  the  driest  year  as  given  by  the  "Weather  Bureau  is 
18.69  inches,  while  the  total  for  the  wettest  year  is  50.3G  inches. 

This  rainfall  is,  as  a  rule,  fairly  well  distributed  throughout  the 
year,  and  especially  during  the  growing  season  when  it  is  most 
needed.  Frequently,  however,  there  are  years  when  periods  of  dry 
weather  alternate  with  periods  of  unusually  heavy  rainfall.  These 
may  continue  from  one  to  four  weeks  and  occasionally  longer.  Ob- 
servations made  by  the  Weather  Bureau  station  at  Madison,  where 
the  rainfall  conditions  are  very  similar,  covering  a  period  of  30 
years  from  1882  to  1911,  show  that  there  are  on  the  average  three 
10-day  periods  in  each  growing  season  in  which  the  rainfall  is  so 
light  that  crops  on  a  reasonably  heavy  soil  suffer  from  lack  of  mois- 
ture. 

The  average  date  for  the  last  killing  frost  in  the  spring  in  Mil- 
waukee County  is  given  by  the  records  as  April  27,  and  the  average 
date  of  the  first  killing  frost  in  the  fall  is  given  as  October  10.  This 
gives  a  growing  season  for  Milwaukee  County  of  approximately  166 
days.  The  date  of  the  latest  killing  frost  recorded  for  the  spring  in 
Milwaukee  County  is  May  29,  and  the  date  of  the  earliest  killing  frost 
in  the  fall  is  given  as  September  25. 

The  influence  of  Lake  Michigan  is  quite  marked  in  this  county. 
The  large  body  of  water  has  the  effect  of  delaying  the  opening  of 
spring,  but  when  warm  weather  finally  begins  it  has  a  tendency  to 
keep  climatic  conditions  more  uniform  than  in  sections  remote  from 
large  bodies  of  water,  so  that  in  this  region  summer  frosts  and  early 
fall  frosts  are  very  rare.  While  the  number  of  days  between  killing 
frosts  is  166,  as  given,  there  is  a  considerable  period  after  the  last 
killing  frost  in  the  spring  and  before  good  growing  weather  begins 
during  which  the  temperature  is  relatively  low,  and  when  such  crops 
as  corn  will  make  but  little  progress.  The  land  immediately  border- 
ing the  lake  and  for  some  5  or  10  mil&s  back  is  for  this  reason  not  so 
well  adapted  to  corn  as  land  lying  in  the  same  latitude  but  farther 
inland.  The  influence  of  the  lake  accounts  for  more  cool  nights  than 
are  found  in  the  interior  of  the  State,  and  this  of  course  is  not  con- 
ducive to  the  rapid  growth  of  corn. 

The  mean  annual  temperature  of  the  Milwaukee  station  is  45.3°  F. 
The  highest  temperature  recorded  is  100°,  and  the  lowest  —25°. 

The  following  table  is  compiled  from  the  records  of  the  Weather 
Bureau  station  at  Milwaukee: 


SOIL  SURVEY   OF   MILWAUKEE   COUNTY,    WISCONSIN. 


NoDiKil   monthly,  seasonal,   atul   annual   trmpcrnturc  and   precipitation   at 

Milicauhcc. 


Temperature. 

Precipitation. 

Month. 

Mean. 

Absolute 
maximum. 

Absolute 
minimum. 

Mean. 

Total 
amount  for 
the  drie.st 
year  (1901). 

Total 
amount  for 
the  wettest 
year  (1876). 

December 

°F. 
26.0 
19.8 
21.9 

°F. 
63 
61 
60 

°F. 
-22 
-25 
-24 

Inches. 
1.92 
2.01 
1.89 

iTiches. 
1.69 
1.33 
1.92 

Inches. 
2.16 
4.39 
3.63 

January 

FebruarT 

AVintcr 

22.6 

63 

-25 

5.82 

4.94 

10.18 

March 

30.9 
41.8 
.53.6 

81 

86 
94 

-  8 
12 
25 

2.67 
2.70 
3.42 

3.62 

.47 
1.75 

.5.29 
2.83 
8.54 

April 

May 

Spring 

42.1 

94 

-  8 

8.79 

5.84 

10.66 

June 

63.5 
69.7 
68.7 

98 
100 
98 

38 
47 
42 

3.67 
3.01 

2.82 

1.12 
2.03 
1.50 

4.76 
4.39 
5  52 

Julv 

August 

Summer 

67.3 

100 

38 

9.50 

4.65 

14  67 

September 

61.5 
•SO.  2 
36.1 

96 
88 
73 

25 

15 

-14 

2.92 
2.39 
1.98 

1.86 
.65 
.75 

3  66 

October 

1  62 

3  57 

Fall 

49.3 

96 

-14 

7.29 

3.26 

8.85 

Y  ear 

45.3 

100 

-25 

31.40 

18.69 

50  36 

AGRICULTURE. 


The  type  of  agriciilturo  in  Milwaukee  Coimtv  from  about  1830  to 
1850  wa.s  general  farming.  Land  was  cheap,  the  population  was 
scattered,  and  the  prices  received  for  farm  products  were  much 
lower  than  at  present.  Grain,  hay,  and  live  stock  were  the  chief 
products.  By  1860  wheat,  oats,  and  corn  had  become  the  important 
crops.  The  first  cargo  of  wheat  is  said  to  have  been  shipped  from 
Milwaukee  in  3841.  With  the  increase  in  population  in  the  county, 
both  urban  and  rural,  the  demand  for  garden  products  became 
greater,  the  price  of  land  advanced  rapidly,  and  the  number  of  farms 
increased,  with  a  decrease  in  the  average  size.  Owing  to  low  prices 
and  decreased  yields,  wheat  production  steadily  declined  after  about 
1870,  while  the  production  of  market-garden  and  orchard  crops  in- 
creased. Small  market  gardens  and  truck  farms  in  recent  years 
have  taken  the  place  of  the  larger  dairy  and  general  farms  near  the 
city  of  Milwaukee.  There  has  also  been  an  increase  in  the  number  of 
tenant  farms. 

30409°— 18 2 


10 


FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF    THE   BUREAU    OF    SOILS,   1916. 


At  the  present  time,  aside  from  truckino:  and  market  fjardening. 
the  agriculture  of  the  county  consists  of  combined  general  farming 
and  dairying.  Special  crops,  such  as  cabbage,  sugar  beets,  or  po- 
tatoes, are  grown  by  many  farmers,  but  a  majority  depend  mainly 
upon  the  products  of  the  dairy,  and  most  of  their  crops  are  produced 
for  feeding  live  stock. 

There  are  only  three  creameries  in  operation  in  the  county,  two 
of  which  are  in  Milwavdiee,  and  most  of  the  milk  and  cream  is  hauled 
or  shipped  to  this  city  and  a  large  part  of  it  is  consumed  as  fresh 
milk.  Man}'  farmers  sell  whole  milk,  others  separate  the  cream  and 
sell  it  or  make  butter,  which  is  sold  in  the  city.  The  advantage  of 
the  latter  method  is  that  the  young  calves  can  be  raised  on  the  farm, 
while  with  the  former  the  calves  must  generally  be  disposed  of  and 
cows  bought  to  maintain  the  herd.  Small  quantities  of  hay  and 
grain  and  small  numbers  of  calves  and  hogs  are  sold  by  these  farmers. 

The  following  table,  compiled  from  the  1910  census,  gives  the 
number  of  live  stock  in  the  county  and  the  sales  of  farm  animals,  by 
classes : 

Number  of  domestic  animals  sold  or  slaughtered  and  number  on  farms  and 

ranges. 


Domestic  animals  on  farms  and  ranges  : 

Milch  cows 11,  131 

All  other  cattle 3,  6153 

Horses 0,  670 

HoRS 7,241 

Sheep 367 


Domestic  animals  sold  or  slaughtered  : 

Calves,  sold  or  slaughtered 6,  093 

Other    cattle,    sold    or    slaugh- 
tered      3,810 

Horses  and  mules,  sold 188 

Swine,  sold  or  slaughtered 7,  461 

Sheep  and  goats,  sold  or  slaugh- 
tered    80 


In  the  1910  census  oats  is  reported  as  the  leading  grain  crop,  with 
a  production  of  548,110  bushels  from  15,368  acres.  Corn  is  reported 
on  10,015  acres,  with  a  production  of  397,882  bushels;  barley  on 
3,668  acres,  with  a  production  of  112,089  bushels;  and  rj^e  on  1,234 
acres,  with  a  production  of  24,448  bushels.  Wheat  is  reported  on 
somewhat  less  than  500  acres,  producing  about  10,000  bushels.  Tame 
and  cultivated  grasses  are  reported  on  28,808  acres,  producing  43,531 
tons  of  hay,  and  about  4,500  acres  are  reported  in  wild  grasses  and 
forage  crops,  with  a  production  of  about  12,000  tons.  Potatoes  oc- 
cupied 6,905  acres,  with  a  production  of  803,595  bushels,  and  all 
other  vegetables  a  total  of  4,400  acres.  There  were  571  acres  devoted 
to  sugar  beets,  producing  6,948  tons.  A  total  of  77,799  apple  trees 
and  about  3,000  grapevines  are  reported  in  the  county.  Strawberries 
are  grown  on  about  100  acres. 

The  following  table  gives  the  value  of  the  various  farm  products, 
as  reported  in  the  1910  census: 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   MILWAUKEE   COUNTY,   WISCONSIN. 
Value  of  farm  products,  arranged  by  classes. 


11 


Product. 


Cereals 

Other  grains  and  seeds 

Hay  and  forage 

Vegetables 

Fniits  and  nuts 

All  other  crops 


Value. 


Dollars. 
588,502 

19,442 
642,  .359 
8.53,902 

67,397 
358, 228 


Product. 


Live  stock  and  products: 

Animals  sold  and  slaughtered 

Dairy  products,  excluding  home  use . 

Poultry  and  eggs 

Wool,  mohair,  and  goat  hair 


Value. 


Dollars. 
346.498 
675, 178 
188,447 
340 


Total  value 3, 740, 293 


The  garden  crops  are  of  many  different  kinds.  Among  the  most 
important  products  are  celery,  berries,  lettuce,  radishes,  onions, 
melons,  sweet  corn,  asparagus,  tomatoes,  cabbage,  cauliflower,  cucum- 
bers, and  peppers.  With  the  improvement  of  the  roads,  gardening 
is  spreading  to  cheaper  and  more  favorable  soils  and  into  areas  15 
to  20  miles  distant  from  Milwaukee.  The  products  are  hauled  by 
team  or  motor  and  sold  at  the  public  markets  to  wholesale  produce 
dealers  and  commission  merchants,  or  peddled  to  regular  customers 
in  the  city.  The  interurban  railways  run  express  cars  which  carry 
milk  and  garden  produce  to  the  city.  From  Hales  Corners  the  cost 
is  20  cents  per  hundred  pounds,  and  crates,  cans,  etc.,  are  returned 
free  to  the  owner's  nearest  station.  Records  in  Milwaukee  show 
that  in  the  months  of  May.  June,  July,  August,  September,  and 
October,  1916,  a  total  of  IS.Sr)!  loads  of  products  was  delivered  to 
the  public  markets.    The  estimated  value  of  each  load  is  $35. 

A  general  recognition  of  the  adaptation  of  the  various  soils  to 
certain  crops  is  represented  by  the  local  grouping  of  the  soils  into 
three  classes — celery  land,  garden  soil,  and  clay  soil.  The  drained 
Peat  is  the  soil  referred  to  as  celery  land,  the  sandy  terrace  soils 
and  the  dark-colored  soils  as  garden  soil,  and  the  general  upland 
clay  and  silty  clay  loam,  which  are  used  for  dairying  and  general 
farming,  as  clay  soils. 

With  the  exception  of  trucking  and  market  gardening,  the  most 
specialized  agriculture  is  the  production  of  celery,  sugar  beets,  and 
cabbage.  The  sugar  beets  and  cabbage  are  generally  grown  on  the 
larger  dairy  farms  as  cash  crops,  while  celery  growing  is  a  separate 
industry.  The  young  celery  plants  are  grown  in  beds  under  glass, 
transplanted  by  hand  to  shallow  trenches  made  in  the  Peat  field,  and 
the  rows  are  gradually  hilled  or  ridged  up  as  the  plants  develop. 
The  3'oung  cabbage  plants  are  grown  in  open  beds  and  transplanted 
in  rows,  generally  with  the  aid  of  a  planter,  and  are  merely  hoed  and 
cultivated  until  mature.  Fifteen  to  twenty-five  tons  of  cabbage  per 
acre  is  considered  a  good  yield.  Sugar  beets  are  often  gi'own  in 
cooperation  with  a  beet-sugar  company,  the  nearast  one  being  at 


12  laELD  orEPLmoxs  or  the  bukeau  oe  soils^  rjiu. 

Menominee  P'alls  in  Waukesha  County.  Under  a  labor  contract  the 
seed  and  all  hand  work,  such  as  hoeing,  weeding,  thinning,  topping, 
and  loading,  are  provided  by  the  sugar  company  for  $21  per  acre, 
while  the  farmer  docs  all  team  work,  such  as  plowing,  seeding,  culti- 
vating, and  hauling  to  the  shipping  point.  Fifteen  to  twenty  tons 
per  acre  is  considered  a  good  yield. 

Most  of  the  farms  in  the  county  have  good  houses,  barns,  and 
other  buildings,  and  these  are  well  cared  for.  In  general,  the  best 
improvements  are  found  in  the  northern  half  of  the  county.  Silos 
are  in  general  use  in  all  parts  of  the  count.y.  On  most  of  the  general 
farms  from  3  to  5  horses  and  5  to  30  head  of  other  stock  are  kept. 

A  number  of  farms  have  buildings  somewhat  resembling  silos,  but 
not  so  high  and  of  greater  diameter,  for  the  storage  of  dry  distillers' 
or  brewers'  grains.  This  product  is  used  quite  extensively',  especially 
in  the  southern  half  of  the  county,  as  a  supplementary  feed  for  cattle 
and  hogs.  Most  farmers  haul  the  grains  in  a  wet  condition  direct 
from  the  brewery  or  distillery  in  a  large,  tight  box  or  a  large  barrel, 
of  a  capacity  four  or  five  times  that  of  an  ordinary  barrel,  and 
mounted  on  wheels.  From  85  cents  to  $3.20  per  load  is  paid  for  this 
wet  grain  mash,  depending  upon  the  size  of  the  container. 

A  common  rotation  on  the  dairj-  and  general  farms  consists  of  hay 
2  years,  corn  1  year,  and  grain  1  }'ear,  with  perhaps  another  culti- 
vated crop  1  year.  AVhere  alfalfa  is  grown — and  this  crop  is  being 
gradually  introduced — such  a  rotation  is  necessarily  altered  or 
abandoned,  as  alfalfa  occupies  the  land  for  several  years.  Alfalfa  is 
not  yet  grown  generally  or  in  large  quantities,  although  it  is  said  that 
little  trouble  is  experienced  in  getting  a  good  stand. 

Onl}'  small  quantities  of  commercial  fertilizer  are  used  in  the 
county,  most  of  that  purchased  being  used  in  the  production  of  flow- 
ers and  other  greenhouse  crops.  Most  of  the  gardeners  use  manure 
hauled  from  the  city. 

It  is  difficult  to  obtain  farm  labor,  and  the  cost  is  raf)iclly  increas- 
ing. As  much  as  $35  to  $45  a  month  with  board  is  sometimes  paid 
for  good  farm  hands.  Much  of  the  gardening  and  the  celery  and 
sugar-beet  handwork  is  done  by  women,  girls,  and  boys,  usually  mem- 
bers of  the  farmer's  family. 

The  1910  census  reports  a  total  of  2,443  farms  in  the  county,  aver- 
aging 47  acres  in  size.  About  77  per  cent  of  the  area  of  the  county  is 
in  farms,  and  of  the  farm  land  about  85  per  cent,  or  40  acres  per  farm, 
IS  reported  improved. 

Somewhat  over  one-third  of  the  farms  in  the  county  are  operated 
by  tenants.  The  rent  varies  from  $4  to  $10  or  $12  an  acre,  depending 
upon  the  location  of  the  land  and  the  kind  of  farming  practiced. 
The  higher  price  is  paid  for  the  best  garden  land. 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   MILWAUKEE   COUNTY,   WISCONSIN.  13 

Land  varies  widely  in  value,  ranging  from  $100  or  $125  in  the 
remote  parts  of  the  county  to  $300,  $400,  and  even  $1,000  an  acre  for 
garden  and  celery  land  near  the  city. 

SOILS. 

Milwaukee  Count}'  lies  entirely  within  the  glaciated  area,  and  the 
surface  formation  consists  of  glacial  deposits,  ranging  in  thickness 
from  a  few  feet  to  almost  200  feet.  The  soils  have  been  derived, 
through  weathering,  from  the  drift  materials,  either  in  the  position 
in  which  they  were  left  by  the  ice  or  after  transportation  and  rede- 
position  by  water. 

With  the  exception  of  a  small  strip  along  the  lake  shore  north  of 
Milwaukee,  the  county  is  covered  by  drift  deposited  during  the  late 
Wisconsin  stage  of  glaciation.  This  material  was  laid  down  in  long 
gentle  ridges  parallel  to  the  lake  shore,  with  intervening  narrow 
lowland  belts  and  inclosed  depressions,  which  exist  as  poorly  drained 
areas  and  marshes.  A  study  of  the  rock  fragments  found  in  the  drift 
shews  that  80  to  90  per  cent  is  of  limestone  similar  to  the  rocks 
underljnng  the  drift.  The  remaining  10  to  20  per  cent  is  composed 
of  rock  fragments  wholly  foreign  to  this  part  of  Wisconsin.  This 
small  quantity  of  foreign  material  is  made  up  of  rocks  brought  from 
localities  farther  north  and  similar  to  those  now  exposed  in  the  Lake 
Superior  region,  including  Archaen  crystalline  rocks  and  the  older 
sandstones  and  quartzites.  The  drift  as  originally  deposited  was  for 
the  most  part  unassorted  and  consisted  of  a  blue,  gray,  or  brown  clay 
or  silty  clay  in  which  sand,  gravel,  and  bowlders  of  various  sizes  were 
embedded.  It  was  highly  calcareous,  being  derived  largely  from 
limestone. 

Since  the  final  recession  of  the  ice  this  material  has  been  subjected 
to  the  processes  of  Aveathering,  giving  rise  to  productive  soils.  The 
principal  changes  that  have  taken  place  are  the  leaching  from  the 
surface  soil  of  the  lime  and  other  readily  soluble  constituents,  and 
the  incorporation  of  organic  matter.  Leaching  has  proceeded  so  far 
in  many  places  that  the  surface  soil  is  neutral  or  even  acid.  In  most 
cases,  however,  there  is  a  larger  quantity  of  lime  in  the  subsoil.  The 
color  of  the  upper  part  of  the  drift  below  the  dark  surface  soil  has 
been  changed  to  a  yellowish  brown  by  oxidation.  The  surface  soil 
has  been  darkened  to  a  greater  or  less  extent  by  the  incorporation  of 
organic  matter.  The  drift  soils  are  classed  with  two  soil  series — the 
Miami  and  the  Carrington. 

North  of  ^lihvaukee,  lying  between  the  Milwaukee  River  and  the 
lake  shore,  there  is  a  deposit  of  red  material  which  differs  strikingly 
from  the  other  surface  depobits  of  the  county.     The  exact  time  and 


14  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,  1916. 

manner  of  its  deposition  has  not  been  fully  deterniined.  Its  position 
overlying  the  drift  and  stratification  in  places  indicate  deposition 
in  comparatively  still  water,  but  the  source  of  the  red  material  is  not 
known.  The  thickness  of  this  deposit  varies  from  about  1  foot  to 
80  feet,  with  an  average  of  about  25  feet.  It  occurs  as  a  series  of 
broad,  gently  undulating  ridges.  The  unweathered  material  is  a 
silt}'  clay  varying  in  color  from  light  red  to  brownish  or  purplish 
red.  In  places  many  bowlders  are  present,  but  as  a  rule  these  are 
less  abundant  than  in  the  other  surface  materials  of  the  county,  and 
over  considerable  areas  they  are  rarely  encountered.  Weathering 
does  not  extend  to  so  great  a  depth  as  in  the  other  materials,  and 
organic  matter  does  not  seem  to  accumulate  so  rapidly  in  the  surface 
soil.  The  soils  of  two  series,  the  Kewaunee  and  Superior,  are  de- 
rived from  this  deposit. 

The  terrace  soils  are  principally  derived  from  deposits  that  were 
laid  down  as  outwash  plains  by  swollen  streams  from  the  melting 
glaciers.  The  most  extensive  terraces  occur  along  Milwaukee  River 
just  north  of  Milwaukee.  Similar  terraces  border  other  large  streams 
in  the  county.  The  surface  covering  of  the  terraces  ranges  from  n 
clay  loam  to  sand,  beneath  which  lie  coarser  materials.  During  the 
ice  invasion  some  areas,  principally  along  stream  valleys,  were  ponded 
by  the  drift,  and  the  lowlands  thus  formed  were  filled  at  the  time 
or  later  by  alluvial  material.  Through  work  of  streams  these  valleys 
have  been  trenched  and  the  remnants  left  as  well-drained  terraces 
or  only  partially  drained  areas  and  poorly  drained  tracts  or  marshes 
where  more  or  less  vegetable  matter  has  accumulated.  Several  series 
of  soils  are  represented. 

The  various  soils  are  grouped,  on  the  basis  of  origin  and  formation, 
color,  topography  and  drainage,  and  other  features,  into  soil  series. 
The  series  is  subdivided  into  types  on  the  basis  of  texture.  Sixteen 
types,  included  in  nine  series,  exclusive  of  Peat,  are  mapped  in  Mil- 
waukee County. 

The  soils  of  the  Miami  series  are  grayish  brown,  and  the  subsoils 
yellowish  brown.  The  subsoils  are  heavier  in  texture  than  the  soils, 
but  the  lower  subsoils  and  substrata  may  be  gravelly  and  sandy. 
These  soils  are  derived  from  drift,  and  bowlders,  mainly  of  limestone, 
occur  in  the  soil  and  subsoil.  The  surface  soil  may  be  neutral  or 
even  slightly  acid,  but  the  subsoil  usually  is  calcareous.  In  this 
county  five  types  are  mapped,  the  fine  sandy  loam,  loam,  silty  clay 
loam,  gravelly  clay  loam,  and  clay  loam. 

The  soils  of  the  Clyde  series  are  dark  gray  or  dark  brown  to  black ; 
the  subsoil  is  gray  or  drab,  mottled  with  yellow.  The  Clyde  soils  are 
poorly  drained  and  occur  along  streams  and  marshes  within  areas  of 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  MILWAUKEE  COUNTY,  WISCONSIN.  15 

the  Miami  series.  They  represent  glacial-drift  material  reworked  in 
part  by  streams  and  weathered  under  poor  conditions  of  drainage. 
In  this  county  the  loam  and  clay  loam  types  are  mapped. 

The  soils  of  the  Carrington  series  are  dark  brown  to  black.  The 
subsoil  is  yellow  to  light  brown.  The  series  is  derived  by  weathering 
from  glacial  till.  The  topography  is  undulating  to  rolling.  Neither 
the  soil  nor  the  subsoil  is  highly  calcareous.  The  series  is  represented 
in  this  county  by  a  single  type,  the  silt  loam. 

The  soils  of  the  Kewaunee  series  are  red  to  reddish  brown,  and  the 
subsoil  is  red.  The  series  is  derived  from  red  glacial  material,  prob- 
ably reworked  after  deposition  in  a  lake.  The  topography  varies 
from  undulating  to  rolling,  and  drainage  is  good.  Only  one  member 
of  this  series  is  mapped,  the  clay  loam. 

The  Superior  series  differs  from  the  Kewaunee  only  in  having  a 
more  nearly  level  topography  and  consequently  poorer  drainage. 
Only  one  type,  the  fine  sandy  loam,  is  encountered  in  this  county. 

The  soils  of  the  Poygan  series  are  black.  They  contain  large  quan- 
tities of  organic  matter.  The  subsoil  is  red  and  similar  in  character 
to  that  of  the  Kewaunee  series.  As  a  rule,  these  soils  are  poorly 
drained.  In  this  county  the  series  is  represented  by  only  one  type, 
the  clay  loam. 

The  Fox  series  includes  grayish-brown  soils  with  yellow  or  yellow- 
ish-brown subsoils,  heavier  in  texture  than  the  soils.  Layers  of  sand 
and  gravel,  composed  mainly  of  limestone,  often  occur  below  about  80 
inches.  These  soils  occupy  level  terraces.  They  lie  above  overflow, 
and  drainage  usually  is  good.  In  this  county  the  Fox  fine  sandy 
loam  and  silt  loam  are  mapped. 

The  Waukesha  soils  are  dark  brown  to  almost  black,  with  light- 
brown  or  yellow  subsoils.  Layers  of  sand  and  gravel  are  encountered 
in  places  in  the  deep  subsoil  or  substratum.  The  soils  of  this  series 
occur  on  level  or  gently  undulating  terraces  and  are  well  drained. 
The  sandy  loam  and  loam  types  are  mapped  in  Milwaukee  County. 

The  Plain  field  series  includes  brown  surface  soils  with  light-brown 
sandy  and  gravelly  subsoils.  These  are  productive  terrace  soils,  but 
are  somewhat  droughty  in  very  dry  seasons.  The  Plainfield  fine  sand 
is  mapped  in  this  area.  It  is  not  typical,  but  is  made  to  include  all 
the  sand  areas  in  the  county. 

Peat,  as  mapped  in  this  county,  consists  of  a  dark-brown  to  black 
spongy  mass  of  organic  matter  made  up  of  partly  decayed  vegeta- 
tion. The  peaty  material  varies  greatly  in  depth,  and  a  shallow 
phase  of  the  type  is  separated.  The  depth  of  the  peaty  material  in 
the  shallow  phase  ranges  from  about  3  to  18  inches;  in  the  typical 
areas  it  is  more  than  18  inches  deep. 


16 


FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1916. 


The  following  table  gives  the  name  and  the  actual  and  relative 
extent  of  each  soil  type  mapped  in  Milwaukee  County : 

Areas  of  different  soils. 


Soil. 

Acres. 

Per 
cent. 

Soil. 

Acres. 

Per 
cent. 

Miami  silt v  clav  loam 

55,296 
2,752 

38,528 
8,384 

19,392 
9.280 
5,248 
2,880 
448 
3,200 
1,856 

1    ''■' 
30.3 

12.6 
6.0 
3.4 

2.2 

2.1 
1.2 

1,408 

1,152 

1,088 

1,024 

832 

576 

448 

384 

64 

.9 

Level  phase 

.7 

Miami  clav  loam 

Miami  gravelly  clay  loam    

7 

Level  phase 

7 

Clyde  clav  loam 

.5 

Kewaimee  clav  loam 

.4 

Miami  Inam .... 

3 

Peat 

2 

Shallow  phase 

1 

Total 

154,240 

MIAMI    FINE    .SANDY    LOAM. 


The  surface  soil  of  the  Miami  fine  sandy  loam  consists  of  8  or  10 
inches  of  grayish-brown  to  yellowish-brown  fine  sandy  loam  over- 
lying yellowish-brown,  sticky  sandy  clay  loam  or  sandy  loam. 
Gravelly  sandy  loam  or  sandj-  clay  loam  is  encountered  at  a  depth 
of  24  to  30  inches.  The  gravel  occurs  at  or  near  the  surface  on  the 
knolls,  while  in  the  depressions  the  surface  soil  is  deeper  and  heavier 
than  the  average. 

This  type  occurs  in  isolated  areas  in  all  parts  of  the  county.  The 
areas  vary  in  size  from  a  few  acres  to  a  square  mile  or  more.  The 
largest  areas  are  near  St.  Francis,  northeast  of  South  Milwaukee, 
near  and  west  of  the  Blue  Mound  Country  Club,  and  just  east  of 
North  Milwaukee.  A  sandy  loam  variation  occurs  along  the  Kin- 
nikinnic  River  in  the  southwestern  part  of  Milwaukee  and  along 
Underwood  Creek,  near  the  western  county  boundary. 

The  topography  is  generally  undulating  to  rolling,  and  the  drain- 
age is  good.  On  the  sharpest  knolls  where  gravel  occurs  near  the 
surface  crops  may  suffer  from  drought  in  continued  dry  spells,  but 
the  soil  in  general  holds  moisture  well  and  produces  good  crops. 

Most  of  the  type  near  the  more  thickly  settled  sections  is  used  for 
trucking  and  gardening,  and  is  fairly  well  suited  to  that  purpose, 
as  it  is  easily  worked  and  well  drained.  Its  uneven  topography  and 
lack  of  organic  matter,  however,  make  it  somewhat  inferior  to  the 
Clyde  and  Waukesha  soils.  In  addition  to  garden  and  truck  crops, 
it  produces  good  yields  of  sugar  beets,  oats,  potatoes,  and  corn. 
Liberal  applications  of  manure  are  needed  on  this  soil.  No  com- 
mercial fertilizer  is  used. 


SOIL   SUEVEY    OF    MILWAUKEE    COUNTY,    WISCONSIN.  17 


MIAMI    LOAM. 


The  surface  soil  consists  of  G  to  10  inches  of  yellowish  or  brown- 
ish-griiy  loam  to  fine  sandy  loam,  and  the  subsoil  differs  ver}^  little 
from  the  soil.  At  24  to  30  inches  the  material  is  a  more  compact, 
sticky  3'ellowish-brown  sandy  clay  loam  or  loam.  Gravelly  sandy 
ioam  is  often  encountered  at  30  to  36  inches.  The  soil  is  slightly 
variable,  being  a  sticky  sandy  clay  loam  in  some  places  and  a  more 
open  sandj'  loam  in  others.  Gravel  sometimes  occurs  on  sharp 
knolls,  and  bowlders  originally  were  quite  numerous,  though  most 
of  these  have  been  removed.  This  soil  is  intimately  associated  with 
the  Miami  chiy  loam  and  silty  clay  loam,  and  in  places  the  boundary 
is  largely  arbitrary. 

The  type  occupies  undulating  to  rolling  knolls  and  narrow  strips 
or  projections  of  high  land  bordering  streams  and  marshes.  It 
occurs  in  isolated  areas  in  all  parts  of  the  county.  The  topography 
is  undulating  to  rolling,  and  the  drainage  generall}'  is  adequate. 
Some  areas  are  forested,  but  the  greater  part  of  the  type  is  under 
cultivation.  Usually  the  general  farm  crops  are  grown,  the  type 
not  being  so  well  adapted  to  garden  crops  as  other  soils.  Corn,  oats, 
hay,  potatoes,  and  clover  are  grown.  Corn  yields  50  to  70  bushels 
per  acre,  oats  10  to  50  bushels,  potatoes  100  to  150  bushels,  and  hay 
1^  to  2  tons.  Barnyard  manure  is  used,  but  no  commercial  ferti- 
lizers are  applied. 

The  selling  price  of  this  land  varies  wideh\  Some  of  it  near 
Milwaukee  sells  for  as  much  as  $600  to  $1,000  an  acre,  while  in  more 
remote  areas  it  can  be  bought  for  $100  to  $200  an  acre. 


MIAMI    SILTY    CLAY    LOAM. 


The  Miami  silty  clay  loam  consists  of  dark  grayish  brown  compact 
silt  loam,  G  to  10  inches  deep,  and  sometimes  containing  a  relatively 
large  proportion  of  very  fine  sand,  resting  on  a  subsoil  of  yellowish- 
brown  clay  loam.  The  material  is  reddish  brown  and  contains  lime- 
stone fragments  belo-w  a  dei)th  of  21  to  36  inches. 

This  type  covers  practically  all  the  south  half  of  the  county. 
Small  areas  in  which  the  silty  soil  is  about  8  inches  deep  and  which 
might  for  that  reason  bo  mapped  as  a  silt  loam  are  included. 

The  topography  in  general  is  broadly  undulating  to  rolling  and 
the  drainage  is  good.  In  a  few  places  limestone  rock  occurs  at  5  to 
10  feet  below  the  surface,  but  it  is  usually  much  deeper.  Some  stony 
spots  occur  in  the  southwestern  part  of  tlie  county  and  are  indicated 
by  symbols.  In  the  southeastern  corner  of  the  county  the  land  is 
said  originally  to  have  been  stony,  but  the  stones  have  largely  been 
removed  and  only  a  few  bowlders  remain  on  the  surface. 


18  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE  BUREAU   OF    SOILS,  1916. 

Most  of  the  tj'pe  in  its  native  state  was  forested  with  a  heavy 
growth  of  hardwood,  with  "  oak  openings,"  or  areas  of  scattered 
trees,  in  places.  The  timber  remains  only  in  small  woodlots,  and 
practically  all  the  type  is  under  cultivation. 

The  Miami  silty  clay  loam  is  used  mainly  for  dairying  and  general 
farming,  but  along  Kilbourn  and  New  Roads  and  Howell  Avenue 
south  from  Milwaukee,  and  also  along  Janesville  Plank  and  Loomis 
Roads  considerable  gardening  is  done.  Hillside  slopes,  where  the  soil 
is  often  slightly  loamy,  sandy,  or  gravelly,  and  small  strips  of  darker 
soil  at  the  heads  of  drainage  ways  or  bordering  creeks  and  marshes, 
are  preferred  for  the  garden  and  truck  crops.  The  farms  are  gen- 
erally smaller  and  the  land  higher  priced  along  these  main  roads. 

On  the  dairy  farms  the  most  important  crops  are  corn,  barley,  oats, 
hay,  clover,  and  potatoes,  with  some  alfalfa.  Corn  yields  80  to  100 
bushels,  oats  40  to  60  bushels,  and  potatoes  100  to  150  bushels  per 
acre.  Most  of  these  crops  are  fed  to  the  cows.  The  cash  products  in- 
clude milk  and  butter,  calves,  hogs,  and  small  quantities  of  grain, 
corn,  and  hay. 

The  crops  are  grown  in  rotations,  the  usual  plan  being  as  follows: 
(1)  Clover  hay,  (2)  clover  and  timothy  hay,  (3)  corn  or  potatoes, 
and  (4)  grain,  seeding  the  land  to  clover  and  timothy.  Barnyard 
manure  is  relied  upon  to  maintain  the  soil  in  productive  condition. 
Some  of  the  farmers  combine  dairying  and  gardening,  keeping  a  few 
cows  and  raising  some  garden  crops  with  enough  field  crops  to  feed 
the  stock. 

Land  of  this  type  varies  widely  in  price,  garden  farms  along  the 
main  roads  selling  for  $200  to  $500  an  acre,  while  dairy  farms  and 
lands  in  more  remote  areas  sell  for  $100  to  $200  an  acre,  depending 
upon  improvements,  character  of  the  surface,  and  conditions  of  the 
land. 

Miami  silty  clay  loaTn,  level  phase. — The  surface  soil  of  this  phase 
consists  of  a  grayish-brown  heavy  silt  loam  or  silty  clay,  underlain 
at  6  to  10  inches  by  yelloAvish-brown  cla}^  loam.  A  sandy  gravelly 
clay  or  sandy  loam  is  encountered  at  30  to  40  inches.  The  topography 
is  very  gently  undulating  to  level.  This  phase  does  not  include  so 
much  wet  land  as  the  level  phase  of  the  Miami  clay  loam,  and  as  a 
whole  is  better  drained. 

Practically  all  the  phase  is  under  cultivation.  It  is  used  for  the 
production  of  general  farm  crops.  Corn  yields  60  to  70  bushels, 
oats  50  to  70  bushels,  and  potatoes  150  to  200  bushels  per  acre. 
Alfalfa  does  well,  although  in  wet  seasons  it  may  become  weedy. 
Barnyard  manure  is  used  on  this  soil. 

Land  of  this  phase  sells  for  $125  to  $300  an  acre. 


i 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   MILWAUKEE   COUNTY,   WISCONSIN. 


19 


The  following  table  gives  the  results  of  mechanical  analyses  of 
samples  of  the  soil  and  subsoil  of  the  Miami  silty  clay  loam: 

Meclianical  analyses  of  Miami  silty  clay  loam. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coar.se 
sand. 

Medium 
sand. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

Silt. 

Clay. 

312735 

Soil 

Per  cent. 
1.5 

.8 

Per  cent. 
4.2 
3.6 

Per  cent. 
4.0 

3.8 

Per  cent. 
20.0 

20.1 

Per  cent. 
10.9 

10.  J 

Per  cent. 
48.7 

43.7 

Per  cent. 
10.6 

312730 

Subsoil 

17.5 

MIAMI   GRAVELLY   CLAY    LOAM. 


The  Miami  gravelly  clay  loam  is  somewhat  variable  in  texture. 
The  soil  prevailingly  is  a  grayish-brown  or  yelloAvish-brown,  sticky 
or  compact  clay  loam  or  sandy  clay  loam,  containing  varying  quan- 
tities of  sand  and  gravel.  The  subsoil  is  generally  a  compact  clay 
loam  or  sandy  clay  loam  carrying  some  gravel.  Gravelly  sandy  loam 
occurs  in  places  at  20  to  3G  inches,  and  in  some  areas  gravel  is  strewn 
thickly  over  the  surface. 

Most  of  the  type  occurs  in  a  nearly  continuous,  gravelly  morainic 
area  extending  from  Lake  Michigan,  one-half  mile  north  of  Cudahy, 
in  a  north^vesterly  direction  through  St.  Francis  to  west  of  Bay 
View.  Another  area  lies  south  of  the  Menominee  River,  near  the 
west  end  of  the  viaduct  just  west  of  Milwaukee.  A  few  small  areas 
occur  in  other  parts  of  the  county.  Areas  of  sandy  gravelly  loam, 
too  small  to  be  mapped  separately,  are  included  with  this  type. 
They  occur  on  small,  scattered  knolls  in  the  moraine  south  of  Bay 
View. 

The  topography  is  generally  undulating  to  rolling  or  bumpy,  and 
the  drainage  is  good  to  excessive. 

Areas  of  this  soil  near  the  city  are  used  both  for  gardening  and 
for  the  production  of  the  general  farm  crops.  The  soil  is  very  pro- 
ductive. It  is  often  rather  difficult  to  work  because  of  the  gravel, 
and  much  of  it  farther  removed  from  the  city  is  used  for  pasture  r 
woodlots.  Near  Milwaukee  a  number  of  gravel  and  sand  pits  are 
worked  in  areas  of  this  type. 


MIAMI  CLAY  LOAM. 


The  Miami  clay  loam  consists  of  4  to  8  inches  of  grayish -brown, 
compact  clay  loam  or  silty  clay  loam,  overlying  yellowish-brown  to 
reddish-yellow  heavy  clay  loam  or  clay.  Yellowish-brown  sandy 
clay  loam  or  loam  occurs  at  depths  of  22  to  30  inches.  From  30  to  36 
inches  the  material  contains  some  gravel  and  often  considerable 
sand.     On  the  knolls  the  gravel  may  be  nearer  the  surface  with  a 


20  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF    THE   BUREAU   OF    SOILS,   1916. 

sticky  gravelly  clay  or  loamy  clay  surface  soil.  Depressions  and  level 
areas  have  a  deeper  silty  surface  soil. 

This  soil  as  mapped  includes  a  large  part  of  the  upland  of  the 
north  half  of  the  county.  It  includes  the  undulating  to  rolling  up- 
land south  of  the  Menominee  River  and  the  more  rolling  ridges  west 
of  Wauwatosa  and  along  the  east  side  of  the  Underwood  Creek 
Valley. 

Areas  to  the  south,  where  the  surface  silty  material  is  uniformly 
deeper  over  the  clay  loam  subsoil,  are  mapped  as  the  Miami  silty 
clay  loam.  In  general  the  clay  loam  occupies  the  more  rolling 
ridges,  but  the  separation  of  the  clay  loam  and  silty  clay  loam  types 
is  difficult,  and  the  boundary  between  the  two  is  in  many  cases  largely 
arbitrary.  The  difference  in  the  soil  is  most  noticeable  in  wet 
weather  when  the  rolling  ridge  land,  where  the  surface  silty  clay  is 
shallower,  often  becomes  difficult  to  work.  In  dry  weather  the  dif- 
ference is  not  so  marked  and  the  separation  of  the  types  on  the  basis 
of  the  depth  of  the  silty  surface  layer  is  difficult. 

The  Miami  clay  loam  is  generally  well  drained,  but  in  con- 
tinued bad  weather  it  becomes  sticky  and  is  difficult  to  handle. 

This  is  an  extensive  and  highly  developed  type.  The  soil  is  strong 
and  productive,  and  except  for  small  woodlots  it  is  practically  all 
under  cultivation.  The  original  forest  growth  consisted  of  oak, 
maple,  elm,  ash,  beech,  and  some  hickory  and  walnut,  but  little  of 
the  valuable  timber  is  left.  The  type  is  used  mainly  for  dairying  and 
general  farming  combined.  In  trucking  and  gardening  sections 
and  along  some  of  the  main  roads  leading  into  Milwaukee  garden 
crops  are  produced.  The  general  farm  crops  include  corn,  oats,  bar- 
ley, hay,  potatoes,  cabbage,  and  sugar  beets,  with  some  alfalfa. 

Corn  yields  80  to  100  bushels,  oats  GO  to  70  bushels,  barley  40  to 
50  bushels,  potatoes  125  to  150  bushels,  sugar  beets  and  cabbage  15 
to  20  tons,  and  alfalfa  3  to  4  tons  of  hay  per  acre.  Alfalfa  is  not 
grown  on  many  farms,  but  its  acreage  is  increasing.  No  great 
difficulty  seems  to  be  experienced  in  getting  a  good  stand  where 
proper  methods  are  employed.  Cabbage,  potatoes,  and  sugar  beets  are 
the  cash,  or  special,  crops  on  this  type.  Little  hay,  corn,  or  grain  is 
sold,  most  of  these  crops  being  fed  to  cows,  hogs,  and  other  stock. 

Barnyard  manure  is  applied  to  this  soil,  and  manure  spreaders  are 
in  common  use.  Very  little  commercial  fertilizer  is  used.  The  type 
is  improved  by  increasing  the  organic-matter  supply  by  growing 
and  plowing  under  legume  crops  such  as  clover  or  alfalfa. 

This  hind  sells  for  $200  to  $400  or  more  an  acre,  depending  upon 
location  and  improvement. 

Miami  clay  loarn^  level  fhase. — This  phase  includes  areas  of  the 
Miami  clay  loam  having  a  nearly  flat  topography.  The  soil  con- 
sists of  6  to  8  inches  of  grayish-brown  silty  clay  loam  overlying  a 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF    MILWAUKEE   COUXTY,   WISCONSIN.  21 

j'^ellowish-brown  or  mot  tied  vol  low  clay  or  clay  loam.  Sandy  clay 
loam  with  some  limestone  fragments  is  reached  at  about  30  to  36 
inches. 

This  phase  occupies  irregular  areas  in  the  broad  valleys  or  de- 
pressions between  the  ridges,  and  generally  borders  a  stream  or 
nuirsh.     It  occurs  mainly  in  the  north  half  of  the  county. 

The  surface  is  generally  flat,  and  while  some  areas  have  fair 
drainage,  others  after  periods  of  wet  weather  remain  much  too  wet 
for  cultivation.  The  poor  drainage  is  partly  due  to  seepage  from 
surrounding  higher  land. 

Practically  all  this  phase  is  cultivated  or  pastured,  about  the  same 
crops  being  grown  as  on  the  main  tj^pe.  Yields  are  somewhat  lighter, 
and  cultivation  is  often  delayed  in  the  more  level  areas.  For  its  im- 
provement this  soil  requires  drainage,  generally  by  means  of  tiling, 
and  in  some  places  liming  is  essential. 

CLYDE    LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Clyde  loam  consists  of  dark-brown  to  black 
fine  sandy  loam,  about  S  to  12  inches  deep.  The  upper  subsoil  is  a 
grayish-yellow  or  mottled  sandy  loam  containing  considerable  gravel. 
The  material  below  24  to  30  inches  is  variable,  but  is  generally  a 
sticky  clay  or  yellowish  sandy  clay  loam. 

This  type  occurs  in  detached  areas  in  all  parts  of  the  county  in 
association  Avith  the  poorly  drained  areas  of  the  Clyde  clay  loam 
bordering  streams  and  marshes.    It  has  a  small  total  area. 

The  topography  is  level,  but  the  type  as  a  rule  has  a  slightly 
higher  position  and  is  better  drained  than  the  associated  clay  loam, 
so  that  a  greater  proportion  is  under  cultivation.  It  is  better  suited 
to  gardening  than  the  clay  loam  type.  Besides  its  higher  percentage 
of  sand  it  contains  more  organic  matter,  which  makes  cultivation 
easier  than  in  case  of  the  clay  loam.  Many  different  garden  crops, 
including  onions,  potatoes,  melons,  and  tomatoes,  are  grown.  No 
commercial  fertilizer  is  used,  but  barnyard  manure  is  applied  in  large 
quantities. 

This  land  sells  for  $150  to  $600  an  acre,  depending  mainly  upon 
its  location. 

A  small  area  of  sandy  loam  is  included  with  this  type.  This  soil 
differs  from  the  loam  only  in  texture  and  in  having  better  drainage. 
It  occurs  on  the  terrace  bordering  the  Milwaukee  River  west  of 
Whitefish  Bay,  and  is  a  valuable  soil  for  market  gardening. 

CLYDE   CLAY    LOAM. 

The  Clyde  clay  loam  consists  of  12  to  16  inches  of  dark-grayish  or 
black  sticky  clay  loam  to  silty  clay  loam  overlying  a  blue  or  mottled 


22  f^;ld  operations  of  the  bureau  of  soils,  1916. 

yellow  compact  cla}^  loam.  In  places  the  mottled  subsoil  contains 
some  fine  sand  and  gravel  below  a  depth  of  30  to  3G  inches. 

This  soil  occurs  in  shallow-  depressions  in  the  upland  and  as  long 
strips  bordering  the  streams  and  marslies.  Areas  varj'ing  in  size 
from  3  or  4  acres  to  a  square  mile  are  found  in  various  parts  of  the 
county.  Of  the  larger  areas,  one  occurs  a  mile  west  of  AVhitefish 
Bay,  one  just  west  of  North  Milwaukee,  one  just  west  of  Cudahy,  and 
another  near  the  southwest  corner  of  the  coimty  south  of  Heelyton. 

This  type  is  low  and  generally  flat.  The  drainage  is  generally 
poor,  and  practicallv  all  the  land  in  its  natural  state  is  too  w-et  for 
cultivation.  The  soil  is  often  tile-drained  and  used  for  gardening, 
and  is  highly  valued  because  of  its  high  content  of  organic  matter. 
In  a  fcAV  instances,  especially  in  the  southern  part  of  the  county, 
dredged  drainage  ditches  are  used,  and  field  crops  are  grown. 

In  dry  seasons  the  soil  retains  moisture  well  and  crops  are  not  so 
likely  to  suffer  for  lack  of  moisture  as  on  the  sandy  soils.  The  type, 
especially  in  wet  seasons,  is  cold  and  late  in  spring  and  can  not  be 
worked  soon  after  rains. 

Many  different  garden  crops  are  grown,  and  good  yields  of  corn, 
hay,  sugar  beets,  and  potatoes  are  obtained  where  the  land  is  drained. 
Most  of  it  is  undrained,  and  supports  a  vegetation  consisting  mainly 
of  marsh  grass,  brush,  and  large  elm  and  ash  trees.  Such  areas  are 
used  largely  for  pasture  or  for  growing  hay. 

The  selling  price  of  this  land  varies  greatly,  depending  mainly 
upon  location.  Some  farms  sell  for  $500  to  $600  an  acre,  while  much 
of  the  type  farther  from  Milwaukee  and  from  good  roads  can  be 
bought  for  $100  to  $200  an  acre. 

Improvement  of  this  soil  in  nearly  every  case  depends  primarily 
upon  tile  drainage;  when  drained  it  is  a  productive  and  valuable 
soil  for  gardening  or  for  general  farming.  Farmers  in  other  sec- 
tions have  tiled  this  type  of  soil  at  a  cost  of  $17  to  $25  an  acre.  The 
yields  on  tile-drained  areas  are  considerably  larger  than  where  such 
improvement  has  not  been  made. 

CARRINGTON   SILT  LOAM. 

The  Carrington  silt  loam  consists  of  10  to  16  inches  of  dark-brown 
or  black  heavy  silt  loam  overlying  a  buff  or  grayish-brown  clay  loam. 
The  subsoil  contains  small  quantities  of  fine  sand  and  gravel,  and  is 
light  yellow  below  about  24  to  30  inches.  White  streaks  of  limy  or 
marly  material  are  present  in  a  few  places  in  the  deeper  subsoil. 

This  soil  is  mapped  in  the  southern  part  of  the  county.  The  area 
south  of  Heelyton  is  an  extension  of  a  much  larger  area  in  Racine 
County  to  the  south.  The  type  has  a  small  total  area  in  Milwaukee 
County. 

The  topography  is  undulating  to  gently  rolling.  The  type 
includes  lower-lying  areas  near  the  streams  and  steep  slopes  rising  to 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   MILWAUKEE   COUNTY,   WISCONSIN.  23 

the  highland.  Although  there  is  considerable  variation  in  the  topog- 
raphy, the  drainage  is  generally  deficient,  and  tile  drainage  is  re- 
quired over  a  large  part  of  the  type  to  bring  it  to  its  highest  state 
of  productiveness.  Small  grassy  swales  and  depressions  are  numer- 
ous, and  because  of  the  dense  clay  subsoil  and  the  lack  of  natural 
drainage  outlets,  the  type  includes  considerable  wet  and  cold  waste 
land  that  can  be  reclaimed  only  by  drainage.  Even  land  with  con- 
siderable slope  may  be  too  wet  for  satisfactory  cultivation.  Probably 
50  per  cent  of  the  type  would  be  benefited  by  the  installation  of  tile 
drains. 

Notwithstanding  the  deficient  drainage  of  this  type,  it  is  a  pro- 
ductive and  valuable  soil.  All  of  it  is  used  for  some  purpose,  the 
wet  land  for  hay  or  pasture.  Little  if  any  of  the  original  forest 
remains. 

General  dairy  farming  is  practiced,  and  some  truck  crops  are 
grown.  The  most  important  crops  are  corn,  barley,  hay,  potatoes, 
and  cabbage.  Corn  yields  GO  to  100  bushels  per  acre,  barley  25  to 
40  bushels,  hay  about  2  tons,  potatoes  100  to  150  bushels,  and  cabbage 
12  to  15  tons. 

A  sufficient  number  of  coavs  is  generally  kept  on  the  farms  to 
supply  the  cultivated  land  with  barnyard  manure.  No  commercial 
fertilizers  are  used  either  on  the  general  farm  crops  or  on  the  truck 
crops. 

This  land  sells  for  $75  to  $150  an  acre,  depending  upon  location, 
improvements,  and  drainage  conditions. 

For  its  improvement  this  soil  is  mainly  in  need  of  drainage  and 
the  addition  of  lime.  Most  of  the  soil  is  distinctly  acid  to  litmus 
paper.  This  is  due  in  part  to  poor  drainage  and  in  part  to  the  high 
organic-matter  content.  Proper  drainage  and  the  application  of 
2  to  4  tons  per  acre  of  fineh'  ground  limestone  should  make  this  one 
of  the  most  productive  and  valuable  soils  in  the  county. 

KEWAUNEE   CLAY   LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Kewaunee  clay  loam  consists  of  a  grayish- 
red  or  reddish-brown  clay  loam  from  3  to  6  inches  deep,  contain- 
ing a  fair  percentage  of  organic  matter  and  varying  quantities  of 
gritty  sand  or  fine  sand.  The  subsoil  is  a  red,  sticky,  compact  clay 
loam,  which  continues  throughout  the  3-foot  section  and  contains 
varying  quantities  of  limestone  fragments  and  gravel.  Where  the 
land  is  slightly  undulating  the  soil  of  the  knolls  has  a  pink  or  red- 
dish color,  while  grayish  material  predominates  in  the  level  areas. 
The  knolls  and  undulating  areas,  although  having  better  drainage, 
are  often  as  hard  to  work  in  wet  seasons  as  the  level  areas  where 
the  surface  material  has  greater  depth. 

The  Kewaunee  clay  loam  occurs  as  a  continuous  body,  lying  mainly 
between  Milwaukee  River  and  Lake  Michigan.     This  area  is  about 


24  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU    OF   SOILS,   1016. 

3  miles  wide  along  the  north  county  line  and  tapers  rapidly  to  the 
south.  At  Whitefish  Bay  the  area  extends  less  than  one-fourth  mile 
back  from  Lake  Michi<ran.  but  it  widens  again  farther  south.  It 
is  cut  by  the  valley  of  the  Milwaukee  River.  A  small  isolated  area 
lies  on  the  lake  a  short  distance  north  of  Cudahy. 

Most  of  the  type  has  a  gently  undulating  topography.  Along  the 
east  side  of  the  Milwaukee  River  Valley  the  surface  is  distinctly 
rolling,  and  an  abrupt  bluti'  extends  100  to  120  feet  down  to  the  lake. 
A  few  deep  ravines  extend  back  one-half  to  1  mile  from  the  lake. 
Some  areas  of  the  type  are  nearly  level.  Shallow  swales  and  nar- 
row depressions  occur  along  the  drainage  ways,  and  some  small  un- 
drained  depressions  and  flat  areas  occur,  in  which  the  surface  has 
become  dark  from  the  accumulation  of  organic  matter.  This  un- 
drained  soil,  where  of  sufficient  extent  to  be  shown  separately  on  the 
soil  map,  is  classed  with  the  Poygan  clay  loam.  Drainage  is  poorest 
in  the  widest  part  of  the  area  just  below  the  north  county  line.  The 
dense  clay  subsoil  makes  the  soil  rather  cold  and  late,  especially  in 
wet  seasons,  where  the  topography  is  not  distinctly  undulating  or 
rolling. 

Practically  all  the  type  is  under  cultivation  or  used  for  pasture. 
The  original  forest  grow^th  consisted  largely  of  beech,  pine,  and 
maple.  The  trees  remaining  in  a  few  small  woodlots  are  mainh^  oak 
and  maple. 

Grain,  corn,  and  hay  are  the  chief  crops.  Dairying  is  important. 
On  some  of  the  small  farms  a  few  cows  are  kept  and  butter  is  sold, 
while  the  larger  farms  with  more  cows  sell  whole  milk.  A  number 
of  farms,  especially  those  including  low  areas  of  dark  soil,  produce 
truck  crops  to  some  extent.  Cabbage,  tomatoes,  potatoes,  and  other 
garden  crops  are  grown,  although  the  soil  as  a  whole  is  not  well 
adapted  to  gardening,  being  too  heavy  to  work  easily  and  too  slow 
in  drying  after  rains. 

Corn  is  not  extensively^  grown,  and  in  most  years  only  the  earliest 
varieties  mature  well,  because  planting  in  the  spring  is  often  delayed. 
Replanting  is  frequently  necessary  in  wet  seasons.  Forty  to  fifty 
bushels  per  acre  is  considered  a  good  yield  of  corn.  Oats  yield  30 
to  40  bushels,  potatoes  60  to  80  bushels,  rye  15  to  20  bushels,  timothy 
about  li  tons,  and  timothy  and  clover  mixed  1^  to  2^  tons  per  acre. 
Irish  potatoes  are  grown  for  home  use,  but  the  industry  has  not  been 
developed  on  a  commercial  scale.  The  type  is  better  adapted  to 
other  crops  tlian  to  potatoes.  Considerable  difficulty  is  experienced 
in  obtaining  and  keeping  a  stand  of  clover,  and  over  some  sections 
little  clover  is  grown. 

The  Kewaunee  clay  loam  is  probably  the  most  difficult  soil  in  the 
county  to  cultivate,  and  it  requires  heavy  stock  and  implements  to 
handle  it  efficiently.    When  plowed  too  wet  it  is  likely  to  puddle.    On 


SOIL   SURVEY  OF   MILWAUKEE   COUNTY,   WISCONSIN. 


25 


the  knolls  of  heavier  soil  large  clods  are  sometimes  turned  up  which 
are  quite  difficult  to  pulverize.  The  poorly  drained  areas  are  more 
difficult  to  handle  than  where  the  drainage  is  good.  The  best  results 
are  obtained  where  the  land  is  plowed  in  the  fall,  but  fall  plowing  is 
not  alwaj's  practicable.  Stable  manure  is  applied  to  this  soil,  but 
green  manuring  is  not  common,  and  no  commercial  fertilizer  is  used. 

The  most  important  problem  which  confronts  the  farmers  on  this 
soil  is  that  of  drainage.  Before  the  best  results  can  be  obtained  on 
the  type  as  a  whole,  tile  drains  must  be  installed,  even  on  gentle  slopes 
where  the  drainage  apjjarently  is  adequate.  There  is  also  a  general 
need  for  definite  crop  rotation.  A  rotation  that  gives  good  results 
on  laud  of  this  class  is:  First  year  small  grains,  such  as  oats,  barley, 
wheat,  or  rye,  seeded  down  to  clover,  with  a  little  timothy  mixed  in 
it;  second  year  clover,  the  first  cutting  being  for  hay  and  the  second 
for  seed ;  and  third  year  mixed  clover  and  timothy.  The  sod  may  be 
manured  either  before  plowing  in  the  fall  or  in  the  winter  after  the 
land  has  been  plowed.  The  fourth  year  the  land  may  be  used  for  a 
cultivated  crop,  such  as  corn  or  a  root  crop. 

The  following  table  gives  the  results  of  mechanical  analyses  of 
samples  of  the  soil  and  subsoil  of  the  Kewaunee  clay  loam : 

Mechanical   analyses   of  Ketcaunee  clay   loam. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium 
sand. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  fine       o-,. 
sand.          ^"*- 

Clay. 

312711 

Soil 

Per  cent. 
0.3 

.4 

Percent. 
1.7 

1.6 

Per  cent. 
2.6 

1.9 

Per  cent. 
13.9 

12.0 

Per  cent.    Per  cent. 
11. 0           39.  8 

Percent. 

312712 

Subsoil 

11. 6            38. 5             S4  1 

RXPKKIOR    FINE    SANDY    LOAM. 


The  surface  soil  of  the  Superior  fine  sandy  loam,  to  an  average 
depth  of  about  12  inches,  usually  consists  of  a  brown  or  yellowish- 
brown  fine  sand}'  loam,  the  color  becoming  lighter  with  depth.  The 
texture  varies  somewhat,  and  in  local  areas  may  be  a  sandy  loam  or 
sand.  The  upper  subsoil  has  about  the  same  texture  as  the  soil,  but  a 
stiif  red  clay  is  encountered  at  depths  of  20  to  40  inches. 

This  type  occupies  a  strip  about  one-fourth  mile  wide  along  the 
Lake  Michigan  shore  just  south  of  Milwaukee.  The  topography 
is  gently  undulating  and  the  soil  is  well  drained,  but  the  type  holds 
moisture  well  because  of  its  heavy  clay  sul^soil. 

Where  cultivated,  the  Superior  fine  sandy  loam  is  used  for  general 
farm  crops.  Mucli  of  it  is  used  for  building  sites  as  the  city  limits 
are  extended.  It  is  considered  a  fairly  good  general-fanning  soil 
and  is  largely  under  cultivation.  It  is  easy  to  till  and  responds 
readily  to  good  treatment.  Stable  manure  is  ap]ilied.  but  no  com- 
mercial fertilizer  is  used.     Average  yields  of  40  to  Go  bushels  of 


26  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF    THE   BUREAU    OF   SOILS,   1916. 

corn,  20  to  30  bushels  of  oats,  20  to  25  bushels  of  barley,  15  to  25 
bushels  of  rye,  and  100  to  125  bushels  of  potatoes  per  acre  are  ob- 
tained.   Very  little  wheat  and  hay  are  grown. 

The  soil  is  generally  in  need  of  organic  matter,  which  can  be 
supplied  effectively  by  supplementing  the  stable  manure  with  green- 
manure  crops,  preferably  clover  or  some  other  legume.  Where  the 
soil  shows  indications  of  acidity,  the  application  of  about  1,200 
pounds  of  ground  limestone  per  acre  is  beneficial.  This  type  is 
better  adapted  to  truck  and  small  fruits,  including  strawberries,  than 
to  general  farming.    It  is  well  suited  to  apple  production. 

POYGAN  CLAY  LOAM. 

The  Poygan  clay  loam  consists  of  6  to  14  inches  of  dark-brown  to 
black,  sticlvv^  clay  loam  with  a  mottled  or  bluish,  tight  clay  subsoil 
which  often  grades  into  red  heavy  clay  at  varying  depths  below  3 
feet.  Large  quantities  of  sand  and  some  gravel  are  sometimes  present 
in  the  subsoil,  the  material  being  a  bluish  gravelly  clay  or  sandy 
cla}'  below  about  24  or  36  inches. 

The  narrow  strip  of  this  soil  bordering  Lake  Michigan  just  south 
of  Fox  Point  consists  of  a  series  of  fans  of  clay  loam  eroded  from 
gidlies  in  the  red  clay  above  and  deposited  over  the  beach  sand 
along  the  lake.  A  part  of  it  is  poorly  drained,  being  kept  wet  by 
seepage.    The  type  lies  3  to  15  feet  above  the  lake  level. 

The  Poygan  clay  loam  occurs  in  scattered  patches  and  is  of 
small  extent.  It  occupies  depressions  and  poorly  drained  spots 
within  the  areas  of  the  Kewaunee  clay  loam  in  the  northeastern  part 
of  the  county. 

The  material  is  largely  of  lacustrine  origin.  Owing  to  its  low  po- 
sition and  poor  drainage,  there  has  been  a  growth  and  decay  of 
vegetation  in  the  presence  of  moisture  which  accounts  for  its  high 
organic-matter  content  and  dark  color.  The  surface  soil  frequently 
is  slightly  acid,  but  the  subsoil  is  calcareous. 

A  small  part  of  the  type  is  cultivated  to  such  crops  as  cabbage  and 
beets.  But  little  of  it  has  been  tiled.  Most  of  the  type  is  used  for 
pasture  or  hay  land. 

FOX    FINE    SANDY    LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Fox  fine  sandy  loam  consists  of  8  to  10 
inches  of  dark  grayish  brown  fine  sandy  loam.  This  overlies  a  yel- 
lowish-brown, sticky  sandy  clay  loam.  The  subsoil  becomes  more 
compact  at  depths  of  24  to  36  inches,  where  layers  of  gravel  and  sand 
are  encountered.    Some  gravel  is  scattered  over  the  surface. 

This  soil  occurs  in  level  or  nearly  level  terrace  strips  along  two  or 
three  of  the  streams.  These  strips  are  remnants  of  terraces  built  up 
by  the  swollen  streams  of  glacial  times.  Most  of  the  type  occurs 
along  the  sides  of  Root  River  Valk\v  in  the  western  and  southwestern 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   MILWAUKEE   COUNTY,   WISCONSIN. 


27 


part  of  the  county.  It  is  mapped  also  near  the  Milwaukee  River 
just  northeast  and  east  of  North  Milwaukee.  It  is  not  extensive  in 
this  county.  The  surface  is  nearly  level  or  slopes  gently  toward  the 
stream,  and  because  of  its  elevated  position  the  drainage  of  the  type 
is  generally  good. 

In  the  vicinity  of  Xorth  Milwaukee  the  Fox  fine  sandy  loam  is 
used  largeh'  for  market  gardening,  but  in  the  southwestern  part  of 
the  county  it  is  devoted  mainly  to  general  farming.  This  is  consid- 
ered a  valuable  soil.  Corn  yields  about  100  bushels,  potatoes  200 
bushels,  oats  00  bushels,  and  hay  li  to  2  tons  per  acre. 

For  general  farming  this  land  sells  for  $150  to  $200  an  acre.  In 
the  gardening  section  it  often  sells  for  higher  prices. 

The  following  table  gives  the  results  of  mechanical  analyses  of 
samples  of  the  soil  and  subsoil  of  the  Fox  fine  sandy  loam : 

Mechanical  analyses  of  Fo-t  fine  sandy  loam. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium 
sand. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

sut. 

Clay. 

312733 

Soil 

Per  cent. 
1.4 

2.0 

Per  cent. 
6.1 

7.3 

Percent. 
9.2 

9.0 

Per  cent. 
32.6 

34.5 

Per  cent. 
U.l 

8.7 

Per  cent. 
31.1 

26.4 

Percent. 
8  4 

312734 

Subsjil 

12.0 

VOX    SIT-T    LOAM. 


The  Fox  silt  loam  consists  of  8  to  12  inches  of  grayish-brown  silt 
loam,  underlain  by  yellowish-brown,  compact  silty  clay  loam  con- 
taining some  gravel.  Yellowish-brown  .sandy  gravelly  loam  occurs 
at  24  to  36  inches  or  at  greater  depths. 

As  mapped,  this  type  includes  areas  of  loam,  which  arc  not  suffi- 
ciently extensive  to  be  mapped  separately.  The  loam  occupies  the 
areas  along  Root  River  and  the  greater  part  of  the  area  on  Under- 
wood Creek  west  of  the  State  Fair  Grounds.  The  surface  soil  con- 
si.sts  of  8  to  12  inches  of  gi-ayish-brown  loam  to  silty  loam,  containing 
varying  quantities  of  sand  and  some  gravel.  The  subsoil  is  a  yellow- 
ish or  reddish-brown,  sticky  sandy  clay  loam  or  loam.  A  reddish- 
brown  sandy  gravelly  loam  occurs  at  24  to  30  inches,  and  this  is 
underlain  by  gravel  and  sand.  The  Fox  silt  loam  occupies  nearly 
level  terraces  bordering  stream  valleys.  It  occurs  just  west  and 
southwest  of  "Wauwatosa  and  in  small  areas  along  the  Root  River. 
The  type  is  inextensive. 

This  soil  is  used  mainly  for  general  farming.  It  is  not  so  well 
adapted  to  gardening  as  the  sandier  or  darker  colored  soils,  but  is  a 
productive  and  valuable  soil  for  general  farm  crops.  Corn  yields 
60  to  70  bushels,  oats  50  to  70  bushels,  and  potatoes  about  200  bushels 
per  acre.    Cabbage,  barley,  and  alfalfa  do  well. 

Land  of  the  Fox  silt  loam  type  sells  for  $150  to  $300  an  acre,  de- 
pending upon  location  and  improvements. 


28  FJELD   OPEKATIOXS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF    SOILS,  1916. 

WAUKESHA     SANDY     LOAM. 

The  Waukesha  sandy  loam  consists  of  8  to  12  inches  of  dark -brown 
sandy  loam  to  fine  sandy  loam  overlying  yellowish-brown  sandy 
loam  or  sand.  The  subsoil  is  variable,  containing  layers  of  coarse 
sandy  loam  with  some  gravel  or  fine  yellow  sand.  In  some  places  a 
sticky  coarse  sandy  clay  loam  layer,  2  to  G  inches  deep,  is  encountered 
at  20  to  30  inches.    Sand  and  gravel  are  present  in  the  deeper  subsoil. 

This  type  occurs  along  the  streams  as  terraces  lying  5  to  20  feet 
above  the  stream  beds.  The  larger  areas  occur  along  the  Milwaukee 
River  in  the  vicinity  of  Silver  Spring  and  west  of  Whitefish  Bay. 
The  soil  is  not  extensive.  The  surface  is  nearly  level.  Being  usually 
well  elevated  above  the  streams  and  having  a  porous,  open  subsoil,  the 
type  has  good  drainage.  In  prolonged  dry  periods  crops  suffer  to 
some  extent  for  lack  of  moisture. 

Practically  all  the  type  is  under  cultivation.  It  is  used  for  garden- 
ing, for  which  it  has  a  high  value,  owing  to  its  location  near  the  city. 
On  the  whole  this  is  one  of  the  best  trucking  and  gardening  soils; 
while  it  has  the  disadvantage  of  a  somewhat  lower  organic-matter 
content  and  water-holding  capacity  than  some  of  the  other  trucking 
soils,  it  possesses  certain  advantages.  It  is  easih'^  worked,  can  be 
cultivated  very  early  in  the  spring  and  almost  immediately  after 
moderate  rains,  responds  quickly  to  manuring,  and  is  quite  easily 
kept  free  from  weeds. 

Practically  all  this  soil  is  used  for  the  production  of  garden  crops. 
Two  crops  and  sometimes  three  of  the  rapidlj'  growing  sorts  may 
be  grown  on  the  same  plot  in  a  season.  Many  different  vegetables 
are  grown.  The  truck  farms  range  in  size  from  3  to  20  acres.  Very 
few  of  the  farmers  specialize,  but  grow  a  variety  of  crops.  Some  of 
the  garden  farmers  practice  a  general  rotation  of  field  crops,  such  as 
corn,  clover,  potatoes,  or  grain,  with  garden  or  truck  crops,  while 
others  produce  truck  crops  continuously,  varying  the  succession  of 
crops  in  their  various  plots.  Stable  manure  hauled  from  the  city  is 
applied  to  the  land,  usually  at  the  rate  of  about  20  loads  per  acre. 
No  commercial  fertilizer  is  applied. 

Some  of  this  land  sells  for  $250  to  $400  an  acre,  but  much  of  it  on 
the  main  roads  and  lying  near  Milwaukee  is  held  at  $G00  to  $1,000 
an  acre. 

WAUKESHA   LOAM. 

The  Waukesha  loam  consists  of  a  very  dark  chocolate  brown  to 
black  or  grayish-black  fine  sandy  loam  to  loam,  underlain  at  about 
8  to  IG  inches  by  a  gray  or  yellowish  sandy  loam  or  sand.  In  places 
this  sand  is  iron  stained.  Occasionally  a  thin  layer  of  compact 
sandy  clay,  1  inch  to  G  inches  in  thickness,  occurs  at  IS  to  30  inches 
from  the  surface.    The  deep  subsoil  is  sandy  or  gravelly. 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   MILWAUKEE   COUNTY,   WISCONSIN.  29 

This  type  borders  the  Milwaukee  River  west  of  Whitefish  Bay. 
It  occupies  terraces,  and  the  topography  is  practically  level.  Very 
sli<rht  swells  or  knolls  occur,  on  which  the  soil  is  better  drained  and 
slightly  lighter  in  color  than  typical.  In  flat,  poorly  drained  areas 
the  soil  is  black. 

The  natural  drainage,  especially  in  that  part  of  the  type  just  west 
of  AVhitefish  Bay,  is  generally  deficient.  Here  the  value  of  the  land 
is  greatly  increased  by  tiling.  In  dry  seasons  the  soil  can  be  culti- 
vated satisfactorily,  but  in  wet  seasons,  owing  to  the  flat  topography 
and  the  accumulation  of  seepage  from  higher  lands  to  the  east,  some 
parts  of  the  type  are  too  moist  for  good  results  with  garden  crops. 

As  mapped  the  Waukesha  loam  includes  a  small  area  of  gravelly 
clay  loam.  This  occupies  a  high  terrace  position.  The  soil  consists 
of  6  to  10  inches  of  dark-brown  to  chocolate-brown,  heavy  gravelly 
clay  loam,  containing  some  coarse  sand  and  overlying  reddish  choco- 
late brown,  compact,  sticky  clay  loam.  Gravelly  sandy  clay  loam, 
carrying  coarse  gravel,  occurs  at  24  to  36  inches,  with  layers  of  coarse 
gravel  and  sand  in  the  deep  subsoil.  Small  gravel  one-half  inch  to 
2  inches  in  diameter  thickly  covers  the  surface  in  places.  The  clay 
content  of  the  surface  soil  makes  it  rather  heavy  for  the  best  garden- 
ing conditions,  and  it  does  not  dry  out  as  quickly  after  rains  as  the 
more  sandy  soils  about  it,  so  that  it  is  used  more  extensively  for 
general  farm  crops  than  for  garden  and  truck  crops,  which  are  pro- 
duced extensively  in  this  vicinity.  Potatoes,  corn,  rye,  oats,  clover, 
alfalfa,  and  some  truck  and  garden  crops  are  grown.  The  soil  ig 
strong  and  productive. 

The  "Waukesha  loam,  with  the  exception  of  the  gravelly  clay  areas, 
is  used  for  trucking,  a  wide  variety  of  truck  crops  being  grown. 
Horse  manure  hauled  from  the  city  is  applied,  but  no  commercial 
fertilizer  is  used. 

The  value  of  this  type  ranges  from  $350  to  $1,000  an  acre,  de- 
pending mainly  upon  location,  improvements,  and  value  for 
gardening. 

PLAINFIELD    FINE    SAND. 

The  Plainfield  fine  sand,  as  mapped  in  this  county,  includes  all 
the  sand  areas.  It  occurs  in  only  a  few  small  bodies.  Two  areas, 
one  at  the  mouth  of  Oak  Creek  opposite  South  Milwaukee,  and  the 
other  just  north  of  Fox  Point,  consist  of  deposits  of  beach  sand. 
They  occur  as  narrow  strips  of  sand  lying  between  the  lake  and  the 
bluff.    No  agricultural  use  is  made  of  these  deposits. 

Another  area  includes  small  knolls  or  ridges  on  the  terraces  west 
of  the  Milwaukee  River  and  northwest  of  Whitefish  Bay.  The  soil 
consists  of  yellowish-brown  fine  sand,  and  the  subsoil  is  a  yellow  fine 
sand.  Both  soil  and  subsoil  contain  some  gravel.  This  soil  is  used 
for  trucking,  to  which  it  seems  fairly  well  adapted,  but  it  requires 


30  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU    OF    SOILS,  1916. 

heavy  applications  of  manure  and  is  subject  to  drought  to  some 
extent  in  dry  periods. 

Another  small  area  of  fine  sand  occurs  between  Bay  View  and  St. 
Francis.  The  topography  is  nearly  level.  This  area  is  used  in  part 
for  gardening  and  in  pcirt  for  geneial  farm  crops.  The  soil  is  badly 
run  down  and  in  need  of  improvement. 


Peat  consists  of  dark-brown  to  black,  spongy  organic  material  de- 
rived from  the  partial  decay  of  water-loving  vegetation  in  wet  areas. 
The  material  is  finely  divided  as  a  rule  and  fairl}^  well  decomposed. 
It  is  18  inches  or  more  in  depth.  There  are  often  thin  mossy  layers 
in  the  subsurface  material  which  are  less  well  decomposed.  The 
subsoil,  or  bottom,  of  the  undrained  areas  and  marshes  is  generally 
a  bluish,  dense  clay  or  mottled  reddish  and  yellowish  clay  loam  or 
sandv  clay  loam.  The  surface  covering  of  organic  material  varies 
in  depth.  The  extent  of  decomposition  and  the  quantity  of  mineral 
matter  mixed  with  it  vary  somewhat. 

In  a  few  cases  this  material  might  properly  be  mapped  as  Muck, 
but  prevailingly  it  is  well-decomposed,  finely  divided  Peat.  It  may 
be  slightly  or  even  markedly  acid  to  litmus  paper.  The  only  marl 
deposit  encountered  is  in  sec.  18,  T.  6  N.,  north  of  the  Beloit  Road 
and  near  the  Waukesha  County  line.  This  deposit  is  less  than  one- 
half  acre  in  extent  and  consists  of  rather  impure  marl. 

The  Peat  occurs  in  small  depressions  ranging  from  about  5  to  80 
acres  in  extent.  These  areas  are  widely  distributed  through  the 
county,  and  are  especially  numerous  in  the  southwestern  corner 
southeast  of  St.  Martins.  The  Peat  occurs  also  along  stream  courses, 
as  in  the  area  west  of  Carrollville  in  the  southeastern  corner  of  the 
county,  drained  by  Oak  Creek. 

The  Peat  areas  are  generally  marshy  and  support  an  open  growth 
of  grass  or  brush.  Occasionally  there  is  a  growth  of  elm,  ash,  or 
tamarack  trees. 

Peat  areas  in  many  cases,  especially  near  the  city  of  Milwaukee, 
have  been  drained  and  used  for  growing  truck  crops,  especiall}'- 
celery.  Some  of  the  oldest  celery  farms  on  the  south  side  of  the 
city  have  been  used  as  building  sites,  and  in  some  cases  the  growers 
have  started  new  celery  farms  farther  out.  Celery  has  been  grown 
for  40  years  on  the  same  field  in  some  cases.  Stable  manure  is  used, 
as  much  as  30  to  40  loads  per  acre  often  being  applied  yearly. 
Onions,  cauliflower,  potatoes,  cabbage,  and  garden  vegetables  are 
also  produced  and  sold  at  the  city  markets. 

Peat  suitable  for  gardening  sells  for  $75  to  $200  an  acre,  depending 
upon  location  and  improvement. 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   MILWAUKEE   COUNTY,   WISCONSIN.  31 

Peat,  shallow  phase. — In  mapping  Peat  a  separation  is  made  on 
the  Imsis  of  depth  of  the  peaty  material,  and  a  shallow  phase  is 
separated.  In  this  phase  the  clay  subsoil  is  encountered  at  depths 
of  3  to  18  inches.  In  other  respects  the  phase  is  like  the  main  body 
of  the  type,  although  it  often  carries  more  mineral  matter — silt,  clay, 
and  sand — and  the  organic  material  itself  may  be  more  thoroughly 
decomposed. 

SUMMARY. 

Milwaukee  County  is  in  the  southeastern  corner  of  Wisconsin, 
adjoining  Lake  Michigan.  It  has  an  area  of  approximately  241 
square  miles,  or  154,240  acres. 

The  county  comprises  a  series  of  broad,  elongated  ridges  paralleling 
the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan.  The  surface  in  general  is  undulating 
to  rolling.  It  rises  toward  the  west  and  an  elevation  of  260  feet 
above  the  lake,  or  840  feet  above  sea  level,  is  attained  in  the  western 
part  of  the  county. 

Milwaukee  County  was  organized  in  1836,  and  reduced  to  its  pres- 
ent size  in  1846.     The  total  population,  as  reported  by  the  census   ^ 
of  1910,  is  433,187,  of  which  about  9  per  cent  is  rural.    The  density  of 
the  rural  population  is  168  per  square  mile.    Milwaukee  City,  with  a 
population  of  about  374,000,  is  the  county  seat. 

Railroads  and  electric  lines  radiate  in  all  directions  from  Mil- 
waukee, and  the  county  is  well  supplied  with  transportation  facili- 
ties. The  county  road  system  is  particularly  good.  Milwaukee  is 
the  chief  market  for  the  products  of  the  county. 

The  growing  season  averages  166  days.  The  mean  annual  tempera- 
ture is  45.3°  F.,  and  the  mean  annual  rainfall  31.40  inches. 

The  agriculture  of  the  county  consists  of  general  farming  and 
dairying,  trucking,  and  market  gardening.  The  general  crops,  oats, 
barley,  corn,  hay,  and  alfalfa,  are  produced  on  the  dairy  farms. 
Special  crops,  such  as  sugar  beets,  cabbage,  potatoes,  celery,  and 
onions,  are  grown  on  the  truck  farms  and  smaller  dairy  farms,  and 
vegetables  of  all  kinds  are  grown  in  the  market  gardens,  located 
mainly  in  the  vicinity  of  Milwaukee. 

The  farms,  particularly  in  the  northern  part  of  the  county,  are 
well  improved.  In  general,  farming  is  in  a  prosperous  condition 
and  the  average  price  of  farm  land  in  the  county  is  well  above  the 
average  price  per  acre  for  the  State.  The  adaptation  of  the  soil  to 
certain  crops  is  generally  recognized,  and  some  attention  is  given 
to  crop  rotation.  Manure  is  commonly  applied  to  cultivated  land, 
but  little  commercial  fertilizer  is  used. 

According  to  the  1910  census,  there  is  a  total  of  2,443  farms  in 
the  county,  averaging  47  acres  in  size.  About  77  per  cent  of  the  area 
of  the  county  is  in  farms,  and  of  the  farm  land  about  85  per  cent,  or 


32  FIELD    OPERATIONS   OF    THE   BUREAU    OF    SOILS,    1916. 

40  acres  per  farm,  is  reported  improved.  Somewhat  over  one-third  of 
the  farms  are  operated  l\y  tenants.  The  average  value  of  farm  hind 
is  reported  as  $197.49  an  acre. 

There  is  very  little  sandy  soil  in  the  county,  about  90  per  cent  of 
the  soil  being  heavier  than  loam.  Xine  soil  scries,  including  16  types, 
together  with  1  miscellaneous  type,  are  mapped  in  this  county.  Of 
these  the  most  important  are  the  Miami  soils,  which  cover  over 
74  per  cent  of  the  county.  These  are  light-colored  fonnerly  tim- 
bered upland  glacial  soils,  carrying  considerable  limestone  material, 
especially  in  the  subsoil.  Five  members  of  the  Miami  series  are 
mapped — the  fine  sandy  loam,  loam,  silty  clay  loam,  gravelly  clay 
loam,  and  clay  loam. 

The  Clyde  series  is  represented  by  two  types,  the  loam  and  clay 
loam.  These  are  dark-colored  soils  with  poor  drainage,  occurring 
along  the  streams  and  in  depressions  w'ithin  areas  of  the  Miami  soils. 
They  are  used  for  pasture,  woodlot,  and  marsh-hay  land  in  their 
natural  condition  and  for  garden  crops  where  drained. 

The  Carrington  series  includes  dark-colored  prairie  soils,  similar 
in  many  respects  to  the  Miami.  Only  one  member  of  this  series,  the 
silt  loam,  is  mapped. 

The  Kewaunee  series  includes  the  red  glacial  soil  north  of  Mil- 
waukee that  has  a  gently  rolling  topography.  One  type,  a  clay  loam, 
is  mapped. 

The  Superior  series  is  represented  by  one  type,  the  fine  sandy  loam. 
This  soil  is  derived  from  material  deposited  in  water  in  glacial  times, 
when  the  level  of  Lake  Michigan  was  at  least  100  to  125  feet  above 
its  present  stage,  and  later  slightly  altered  by  glaciation.  The  soil 
is  heavy  and  cold  in  the  spring  and  is  used  only  for  general  farming 
and  dairying. 

The  Poygan  series  is  represented  by  only  one  type,  the  clay  loam. 
It  is  of  small  extent  and  is  relatively  unimportant. 

The  Fox  series  is  represented  by  two  members,  the  fine  sandy  loam 
and  silt  loam.  It  includes  light-colored  terrace  soils.  These  are 
productive  and  valuable  soils,  but  are  not  extensive  in  this  countj^ 

The  Waukesha  series  includes  the  dark-colored  well-drained  lime- 
stone soils  laid  down  by  water  as  outwash  areas  or  terraces  and  hav- 
ing stratified  gravelly  or  sandy  subsoils.  In  this  county  it  includes 
two  types,  the  sandy  loam  and  loam.  These  soils  are  used  for 
market  gardening. 

The  Plainfield  series  is  represented  by  a  single  type,  the  fine  sand. 
This  type  is  made  to  include  all  the  sand  areas  mapped  in  the 
county. 

Peat  consists  of  an  accumulation  of  decaying  vegetable  material 
overlying  clay.  Some  of  the  Peat  land  has  been  drained  and  is  used 
for  celery  culture,  gardening,  and  general  farming. 

o 


"   '  p 


fPxTBLic  RESorxnroN — No.  9.] 

JOINT  RESOLUTION  Amending  public  resolution  numbered  eight,  Fifty-sixth  Congresa, 
second  session,  approved  February  twenty-third,  nineteen  hundred  and  one,  "  providing 
for  the  printing  annually  of  the  report  on  field  operations  of  the  Division  of  Soils, 
Department  of  Agriculture." 

Resolved  by  the  Senate  and  Ilouxe  of  Representatives  of  the  United  States  of 
America  in  Congress  assembled.  That  public  resolution  numbered  eight,  Fifty- 
sixth  Congress,  second  se.ssion,  approved  February  twenty-third,  nineteen  lum- 
dred  and  one,  be  amended  by  striking'out  all  after  the  resolving  clause  and 
Inserting  in  lieu  thereof  the  following: 

That  there  shall  be  printed  ton  thousand  five  hundred  copies  of  the  report  on 
field  operations  of  the  Divi.sion  of  Soils,  Department  of  Agriculture,  of  which 
one  thousand  five  hundred  copies  shall  he  for  Ihe  use  of  the  Senate,  three  thou- 
sand copies  for  the  u.se  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  and  six  thousand  copies 
for  the  use  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture :  Provided,  That  in  addition  to  the 
number  of  copies  above  provided  for  there  shall  be  printed,  as  soon  as  the  manu- 
script can  be  prepared,  with  the  necessary  maps  and  illustrations  to  accompany 
It,  a  report  on  each  area  surveyed,  in  tlie  form  of  advance  sheets,  bound  in  paper 
covers,  of  which  five  hundred  copies  shall  be  for  the  use  of  each  Senator  from 
the  State,  two  thousand  copies  for  the  use  of  each  Representative  for  the  con- 
gressional district  or  districts  in  which  the  survey  is  made,  and  one  tliousand 
copies  for  the  use  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture. 

Approved,  March  14,  1904. 

[On  July  1,  1001,  the  Division  of  Soils  was  reorganized  as  the  Bureau  of  Soils.! 


Areas  surveyed  in  Wisconsin. 


